New on stage: 3 new shows open in Wilmington, including 'Gypsy'

"The Children's Hour" at UNCW, "Gypsy" at Thalian Hall and "Killer Diller" at TheatreNOW

By Bridget Callhan StarNews correspondent

Three new shows open on Wilmington stages this week: a classic musical, a musical novel adapted into dinner theater and a troubling play from 1934 that retains its relevance.

'The Children's Hour'

UNCW’s Department of Theatre opens Lillian Helman’s play “The Children’s Hour” on Thursday, March 30. In a year in which fake news, conspiracies and polarizing cultural wars have ruled the headlines, this 1934 play about a girl’s boarding school and the gossip that destroys it is still frighteningly relevant.

“Although it was written in 1934, and banned in Boston and Chicago due to what was perceived as indecent content, it’s still very relevant today,” said director Robin Root, assistant professor of acting at the University of North Carolina Wilmington. “This play makes people question the ways in which all of us are perpetuating a certain kind of thinking. It also speaks to how information is spread incredibly quickly, given our access to technology and social media."

Over the years, productions of the play have often highlighted the sociocultural backdrop of the time. In keeping with this, UNCW’s production takes place in 2017 and includes the ubiquitous tools of our time in an immersive multimedia style. But updating the play wasn’t that hard, the director said.

“There’s some language that sounds a little dated," Root said. "It is, unfortunately, not hard to imagine this sort of scenario" happening today.

Details: 8 p.m. March 30-April 1 and April 6-8, 2 p.m. April 2 and 9 at the Mainstage Theatre in UNCW's Cultural Arts Building. $15; $12 for seniors, UNCW employees and alums; and $6 for students. UNCW.edu/Theatre

Starting here, starting now, everything’s coming up roses as the Thalian Association opens its production of "Gypsy" March 30 at Thalian Hall under the direction of Mike Thompson.

“It’s arguably the greatest American musical of all time,” said Chandler Davis, artistic director of Thalian Association.

The iconic story of the ultimate stage mom, Rose (played for the Thalians by Katherine Vernon), and her reluctant star, Louise (Beth Swindell), is packed full of songs that are instantly recognizable: "Everything's Coming Up Roses," "Let Me Entertain You," "All I Need Is the Girl" and many others.

Even if you’ve never seen the musical, the story, made famous by the likes of Bette Midler and Bernadette Peters, will be familiar to most. Davis attributes its success to the complexity of the characters.

“Your main characters are extremely flawed and very human," Davis said. "I think sometimes you can’t connect to the characters in a musical because, you know, people are randomly bursting out into song. But Rose and Louise and Herbie are all extremely relatable, human characters."

Just like life, even though it’s got some big, flashy numbers and pretty sets, there’s more hiding in the shadows.

“It’s definitely about living vicariously through your kids,” Davis said. “It’s weird, because it comes across as a happy, peppy musical, but when you start to think about it, it’s a little dark.”

If you didn’t know that Edgerton’s novel about a young North Carolina blues musician had been adapted for stage, don’t worry, you’re not alone. This particular adaptation is a labor of love in more than one way, with most of that labor being done by Zach Hanner, artistic director of TheatreNOW and director of this production.

“When I was in school in Chapel Hill in the late '80s, my professor and mentor Paul Ferguson collaborated with Clyde, who was also a professor in the writing department at Carolina, on adapting his books for the stage,” Hanner said. “'Raney' was the first, then 'Walking Across Egypt' and then 'Killer Diller.' And while 'Walking Across Egypt' and 'Raney' are still licensed plays that you can purchase the royalties to, 'Killer Diller' was only done for just one run 25 years ago. And other than that, no one has ever seen it.”

Edgerton lives in Wilmington and teaches writing at UNCW. TheatreNOW did "Walking Across Egypt" last year and "Raney" the year before that, and Hanner decided he wanted to follow up those successes with "Killer Diller." But it wasn’t easy to find.

“I asked my professor for the script last year, and he told me he had a hard copy hidden away somewhere in his voluminous piles. And when December rolled around and I still hadn’t seen it, he finally found a live recording of the show," Hanner said. "That’s what I ended up having to go on and I transcribed the entire two-hour show. And then figured out the music, 'cause it is filled with gospel and blues music."

The story follow a young man, Wesley (Kai Knight), who's staying at a halfway house sponsored by a small Christian school in a town that recalls the Durham of Edgerton’s youth. Wesley plays in the university band, and is only allowed to use the instruments for gospel music. But of course, the band wants to play the blues.

It’s a classic story of rebellion and love that will finally see the stage again after 25 years.

Details: 6 p.m. doors, 7 p.m. show, Fridays and Saturdays March 31-April 29. $42, includes dinner and show but not beverages or tip. $18-$24 show only. 910-399-3669 or TheatreWilmington.com